All of these were free from All Romance ebooks and Ravenous Romance, good and not so good in the ones that I have read so far. But here is what I thought.

Ripping the Bodice by Inara Lavey (ebook) (A-)

Got sex and romance on the brain? So does Cassandra Devon. She also has hard-boiled private eyes, dashing pirates, jet-setting super spies and other sexy rogues entertaining her in her surprisingly explicit subconscious. All these erotic daydreams make it hard to stay focused on Cassandra's current dilemma: namely, rebuffing the advances of Connor, a wild Irish rascal who wants to play the starring role in her fantasies. Cassandra is only interested in getting together with Raphael, the tall, dark and handsome man of her dreams. May the best romance hero win!

This was such a fun book. It was kind of shades of Walter Mitty. Cassandra loves her bodice ripper romances and has read them for so long they have become her model for her ideal man. She also has an active imagination in that she constantly loses herself in scenes out of her books and her head. The characters were a lot of fun and the storyline especially with all the mock scenes from old time romances was hilarious. The romance was full of banter and great chemistry. Definitely recommend this one.

Welcome to Wonderland, a quiet, picturesque village located on the Pacific Coast, just south of San Francisco. Prodigal son Rich North and his partner, Marc Anderson, have just relocated to Wonderland after leaving behind their lives-and a secret scandal-back in New York City. They buy a house on exclusive Eldon Court, where five Victorian homes stand. Three other gay couples lives in the other houses, while Number Two Eldon Court remains mysteriously empty. There they meet Edgar and Jack, the longest-tenured residents of Eldon Court; Aaron and Juan, a couple with their own relationship issues; and Sawyer and Dane, a young, gorgeous couple with too much money and time of their hands.Something is afoot on Eldon Court. A peeping Tom, a possible murder attempt, a case of arson. The clues lead back to Bayside Hotel and the mysterious new owner, Danvers Converse. He is a man with perverse appetites and unstoppable ambition. He will resort to blackmail-or worse-to gain possession of Eldon Court. But why, and at what cost? The only thing the neighbors have is their solidarity. But with a spy in their midst, Eldon Court is being threatened from all sides, and Rich and Marc realize that, as they newcomers to the block, they must stop what's happening. Until newer neighbors move into Number Two-and all hell breaks loose on Eldon Court.

Received free from All Romance ebooks. I started this one and it is written by different authors. That was ok, some of it was the same happenings from different perspectives but not too much of that. It is about the relationships between all of these gay men who live on this cul-de-sac. But there is this mystery also happening during the story, which sort of interested me but about 3/4 of the way through I was getting a little bored. So I turned to the end to see if it was worth finishing and it ended with a cliffhanger and the mystery was not resolved. Plus there was some infidelity between the couples which is a hotspot with me. So I did not finish it.

Saving Sophie by Elle Amery (A-)

Sophie Huntsman’s crush on gorgeous Jake Muscat began when she was a frizzy-haired and flat- chested little twerp. She’s all woman now, and determined to fulfill her fantasy, even if it means following Jake’s rules. Jake’s always been a lone wolf, the type of guy who will never commit, but Sophie will take anything he’ll give her, even if it’s just one night of amazing sex.

Jake’s never opened up to a woman like this before, and Sophie’s discovered that Battery Operated Boyfriends can’t bring her to the heights Jake can. However, when Jake’s the only one who can save Sophie’s career, they agree to leave that night of sex behind. But lust ignites again, and this time it leaves Sophie reeling and Jake convinced his obsession will bring nothing but pain. When Jake walks away this time, Sophie needs to be saved from both a failing career and a breaking heart.

This time, can Jake save both Sophie and himself, and find the lasting passion they both desire?

Two of my favorite romance themes, brother's best friend and friends to lovers. Enjoyed this a lot, had a hard time stopping to go to bed. Solid storyline, great chemistry and nice characters. Good stuff.